METHOD FOR THE GENERATING OPERATING SOFTWARE ON A CONTROL DEVICE FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE AS WELL AS CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20090150020A1
• Filed: 12/10/2008
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Przymusinski, Achim, Queisser, Frank, Ostreicher, Wolfgang
• Granted Patent: US 8,346,430 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2425 Particular ways of programming the data
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/26 using computer, e.g. microprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/64 Retargetable

Abstract

A method for generating operating software on a control device for a motor vehicle by executing control software in a production line end computer or in the control device, has the following steps: a) Executing a diagnosis function in the motor vehicle, with which the configuration of the motor vehicle can be established so that the functions to be performed by the control device (1) are clearly defined, b) Selecting only from among the necessary software components from an external data source (2), so that the configuration of the motor vehicle can be mapped with the operating software on the control device (1), and c) Generating the component-individual operating software on the control device (1) by inclusion of the selected software components.

Claims

1. A method for generating operating software on a control device for a motor vehicle by executing control software in a production line end computer or in the control device, comprising the following steps:

a) Executing a diagnosis function in the motor vehicle, with which the configuration of the motor vehicle can be established so that the functions to be performed by means of the control device are clearly defined,

b) Selecting only from among the necessary software components from an external data source, so that the configuration of the motor vehicle can be mapped with the operating software on the control device, and

c) Generating the component-individual operating software on the control device by inclusion of the selected software components.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operating software is generated in the production line end computer containing the external data source and is subsequently transferred to the control device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operating software is selected from the external data source and is only assembled into executable operating software on the control device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the individual operating software is composed of a plurality of software components that have been made available on the external data source.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the individual operating software is generated from basic software that has been made available on the external data source and likewise at least one individual item of difference software is generated on an external data source for the use of the control device in question.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of storage areas are defined and allocated specific functions on a program memory of the control device with, for the generation of the individual operating software, the storage areas being filled at least partially with software variants that have been made available on the external data source.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, for the generation of the individual operating software, data from an external data source is transferred by at least one of means of a computer network and means of the Internet to the control device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the operating software to be generated individually on the control device is at least one of selected and generated by means of a control software.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the control software is contained in a memory of the control device.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operating software to be generated individually on the control device is at least one of selected and generated by a signal from another component of the motor vehicle.

11. A computer program product storing computer executable code, wherein the computer executable code when executed on a production line end computer or in a control device for a motor vehicle performs a method for generating operating software for the control device with the following steps:

a) Executing a diagnosis function in the motor vehicle, with which the configuration of the motor vehicle can be established so that the functions to be performed by means of the control device are clearly defined,

b) Selecting only from among the necessary software components from an external data source, so that the configuration of the motor vehicle can be mapped with the operating software on the control device, and

c) Generating the component-individual operating software on the control device by inclusion of the selected software components.

12. A control device for a motor vehicle operable to execute software generated by executing control software in a production line end computer or in the control device, comprising the following steps:

a) Executing a diagnosis function in the motor vehicle, with which the configuration of the motor vehicle can be established so that the functions to be performed by means of the control device are clearly defined,

b) Selecting only from among the necessary software components from an external data source, so that the configuration of the motor vehicle can be mapped with the operating software on the control device, and

c) Generating the component-individual operating software on the control device by inclusion of the selected software components.

13. The control device according to claim 12, wherein the operating software is generated in the production line end computer containing the external data source and is subsequently transferred to the control device.

14. The control device according to claim 12, wherein the operating software is selected from the external data source and is only assembled into executable operating software on the control device.

15. The control device according to claim 12, wherein the individual operating software is composed of a plurality of software components that have been made available on the external data source.

16. The control device according to claim 12, wherein the individual operating software is generated from basic software that has been made available on the external data source and likewise at least one individual item of difference software is generated on an external data source for the use of the control device in question.

17. The control device according to claim 12, wherein a plurality of storage areas are defined and allocated specific functions on a program memory of the control device with, for the generation of the individual operating software, the storage areas being filled at least partially with software variants that have been made available on the external data source.

18. The control device according to claim 12, wherein, for the generation of the individual operating software, data from an external data source is transferred by at least one of means of a computer network and means of the Internet to the control device.

19. The control device according to claim 12, wherein, the operating software to be generated individually on the control device is at least one of selected and generated by means of a control software.

20. The control device according to claim 19, wherein the control software is contained in a memory of the control device.